Segments in this Video

Single Parenthood(08:20)

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Single parent families are increasingly common worldwide. Economist Ann Crittenden says preparing kids for adult life is now more of a financial and time investment. President of New Age Transportation Carolyn Gable explains the struggle of being a single mom while running her company.

Alternative Parenting (08:32)

The family structure has rapidly changed due to social norms, a low birth rate, single parent adoption, a high divorce rate, and other circumstances; parents discuss their journeys through the single parent adoption process. In Sweden, a single mother and her friend raise her son together; her friend is a homosexual man who would not have been able to experience parenthood outside of this unique family relationship.

Swedish Family Structure(06:46)

In Sweden, the government places emphasis on parent-child relationships rather than financial child support, so the estranged parent is allowed to see the child even if they have not paid. A Swedish father moved to the countryside to raise his young son alone following a dramatic divorce.

Supporting Single Parents(04:51)

Gable explains the Expect a Miracle Foundation she founded in order to help children and women of single-parent families. Since Gable was a financially unstable single mom for many years, she knows the unique struggles these families face.

Financial Support(04:06)

In most countries except Sweden, according to Barbara Hobson, many single women are very financially unstable due to unreconciled work and family life balance; the United States is the worst work environment for families. Following a divorce or separation, statically a woman’s income goes down while the man's income goes up; the US spends more on societal failures than prevention.

Social Programs (06:11)

Making one parent families visible in society will help increase social programs like welfare. Children of divorce seek out support in emotionally coping with the loss or estrangement of one of their parents.

Struggles of Single Parents(07:30)

Single parents often cope with feelings of shame and guilt for not being able to support their children entirely on their own. Single mother Brigitta lives in a communal home in Sweden where the families all cook and care for the grounds together while still having their own personal living space. Janna Olzon talks about the community single parents have created; coming together is a political work according to her.

Future of Single Parenting(03:14)

Many single parents become focused on their children and disinterested in romantic relationships as time goes on; statistically, there will be a time when eighty percent of people holding political office will be from single-parent homes. The structure of the family is already changing, but society, especially in the US, has not adjusted to accommodate such changed.

Description

Solo Parent follows in the footsteps of Sololand investigating another dimension of solo living. More and more men and women are choosing to raise children alone, or even to adopt. Reconciling work and family, preserving intimacy, cultivating other relationships...the social innovators in this film juggle their time without the fallback position that having a partner affords. Shot in Canada, the United States, and Sweden, the inspiring stories from these solo parents are put into a wider context of social and economic change by several outstanding professionals who have studied the increasing trend toward solo parenting: Bernard Arcand, anthropologist; Ann Crittenden, author of The Price of Motherhood; Brook Noel, author of the The Single Parent's Resource Book; and Barbara Hobson, author of Making Men into Fathers.